Apparatus for supporting glass cylinders



H. S. HEICHERT. APPARATUS FDR SUPPORTING GLASS CYLINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II| 1919.

Patented Dee. 14, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

HERMAN S. HEICHERT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,.ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA, u

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed February 11, 1919. Serial No. 276,261.

To all 'whom 25 may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN S. HEIGHERT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Apparatus for Supporting Glass Cylinders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to apparatus for taking down and otherwise supporting the glass cylinders formed in the manufacture of window glass. The invention has for its primary objects the provision of improved and simplified means for causing the cylinder supporting arms to engage the cylinder with uniform supporting pressure regardless of any lack of straightness in the cylinder or variations in the diameter thereof. The invention is illustrated as applied to a takedown apparatus but is applicable to any supporting frame for glass cylinders whether for use in taking down cylinders or supporting them in other relations. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the apparatus as used, the dotted lines indicating the take down in lowered position. Fig. 2 is aside elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper end of the take down. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the take down on the same scale as Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are partial side elevations of modified forms of construction.

Referring first to the general arrangementof apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1 indicates a drawing eX- tension or tank carrying a body of molten glass 2; 3 is a glass cylinder which has been drawn, such cylinder being supported at its upper end by means of the bait 4 mounted upon suitable carriage (not shown) and provided with a hollow Vhandle 5, by means of which air is supplied to the cylinder; 6 1s the take down frame, pivotally mounted at 7 and adapted to be swung from full line to dotted line position by means of a suitable motor and operating mechanism (not shown). 8 are curved arms (Fig. 3) adapted to engage and support the glass cylinder during the taking down and cutting up operation; 9 is an arm similar to the arms 8 illustrated in Fig. 1, the bracket 12 moves up and engages the collar 13, disengaging the baitfrom its support upon the carriage (not shown), and during the further movement of the take down frame, the weight of the cylinder is supported upon the bracket 11 until the take down frame passes its vertical position, after which time more and more of the weight of the cylinder is taken by the arms8. 1

The framework 6 is preferably formed from commercial angles 14, secured together by transverse members 15 and lattice members 16. The rods 10, which carry the arms 8, are guided to move through the transverse members 15 and each rod carries at its lower end a sheave or pulley 17. Intermediate such pulleys and mounted upon the frame are the sheaves or pulleys 18. A flexible member, preferably a light wire rope or cable 20, passes around the various sheaves 17 and 18, as indicated in Fig. 1, and-around the end pulleys 21, 22, 23 and 24, the pulley 21 being located at the upper end of the take down frame and the pulleys 22, 23 and 24 being located at the lower end ofthe frame. The cable is thus formed into an endless connection with a bight 25 at the lower end, in which is mounted a sheave 26, supporting a weight 27.

Since the weight imposed upon the arm 9, which engages the bait 4, is greater than the weight imposed upon the other arms, a modified arrangementA is provided for supporting the rod 10 of this arm, such arrangement being shown in Fig. 2, and including a lever 28, pivoted at 29 and carrying at its end a pulley 30, around which the cable 20 passes. This arrangement provides for holding forward the arm 9 with greater force than the arms 8, since the point of supporty31 of the rod upon the le- Y ver 28 is located closer to the pivotal support 29 of the lever than to the free end thereof.

It will be seen that the cable and pulley arrangement as above described constitutes a means for holding the various cylinder ysupportingarms in advanced position and for equalizingathe pressure exerted by the arms upon the cylinder..` When the take down frame swingsv to the right, the arms 8 are successively engaged by the cylinders and moved to the rear, such movement being permitted because ofthe cable, to yvhich tension is continuously applied by theweight .27...-Sinee thefarme. ele all .Supported upon ,the same cable and suchcable Vruns freely around the various pulleys, the pres- Sureesertedby. eeeh arm Pen the eylindel' ishsubstantially the same, and ythis is the eeee regardless .et vany ,rel-iedere in. the Streghmees lef .the .Cylinder Ler its. diameter- Tlee.. ,Cylinder time funifermlyfeupperted, both duringthe taking doivnoperationl-and during the, cutting up operation, and break ege. ledenti te Seems. ndiieed. by. uneven Suppertethe Cylinder is entirely .eyeded The arms are limited in their movement by means of- F.the stops 32 and 33 carried upon therede l0. ,.f f

Fig. illustrates afmodification which invelyee tllediyieen 0f the .eeblete eplurality of parts, so that each section of the cable servestosupport only a .part` of" the .arms .911....the-f1ei11e- With. e. eellstrileten such: asthatofllig. r l,\the armsat the. cenbrel Dertien ef the .frame -6 respond te reesure less, readily thairuthose yat the ens of the frame, due to the bendsin the cable Vand Vto thev yfriction in turning the various pulleys, and a construction such as that of ig.y 4 remedies this` condition so that all the arms respond to pressure imposedthereon` ywith Substantially the same degree of freedom., Fig. 4 .shows vtwo setsof arms 34 and 35,mounted upon the frame ,36, the set 34 being supported. .by the cable 37 and the set`35 being supported'by the cable 38. A setlof,y pulleys .39 are., mounted at the axis o frotation 4Q vvof the frame, and the various cables paSS QVr thQSQL pulleys and carry at their, ends-.the weights, el and l2. -The arms 34aand 35 aremounted upon rodssimilar to those, inthe construction of Fig. 1

and the arrangement of sheavesand pulleys v is similar.. The cablev 37 islixedly 'attached t0 the fra-me at v43), While the cable 38 is attached.y at 44. A large number of different modifications or arrangements might be .provided for, securing ,the equalization of the pressure kupon thecylinder by vsubdividing the cable, and Vit `vvill vbe understood that Fig. y4 illustrates onlyoneof a number of possible modifications along this line. 4

. Fig.' 5` illustrates 'a modification in which theV invention is applied toA a cutting up frameg-,o11, fhorse??A as OPPOSQ. t0 the, ,take

down frame of Fig. l. With this construction'the cylinder fis swung from 'vertical to horizontal position by any desired form of take down and placed upon the arms 45 of the frame 46, such frame being supported upon legs 47. A further modification involved in this type of device consists in the elimination of the Weights of the previous foi-ms of construction. The cables 48 are secured at their ends 50 to the Yframe sotliat no` tension :is applied to the cables except that incident to the vveight imposed upon the arms 45 `by the cylinder. vThe rods 51 carrying the arms A45 andthe pulleys 52 and .53, correspond in construction and function to similart parts in the construction of Fig.` l.y Itrivill beseeiithatthe cables employed actas equalizing means, as inthe otherV type of construction, and that .this equalizing means causesq the armsto bear with equal pressure upon thecylinderl even though the cylinder .is more or less crooked and has varying diameter.` Y The 'coiifstruction provides for a yielding support of the cylinder` and atthe same rtime avoids the complicationV and unequal pressureincident Y to thefuse of springs, such asE have lheretofore been employed.l Ifdesired, the vveights of the other typesrofy construction might, be empleyed with' .the liereeef: Fie. 5, but eueh Weights are unnecessarysince thereV is no advantage in yieldin'gly holding the` armsl forward, suchlas is the case Withl atake dovvn frame, Where"n it isdesirable to, cushion the contact betyveen Athe .arnis cylinder duringthesyvingl ng movement of the frame.

Whatlclaim is:`A I j l. In combination a supporting frame for glass cylinders, a plurality of arms spaced along the frame. and extending transversely thereof, and la i lflexible equalizing means extending longitudinally of frame and supportingthenseries A y 2, In combination asupporting frame for glass cylinders, plurality. ofarins spaced along the frame and vextending transversely thereof, a flexible equalizingmeans extending along the frame and 4theseries of arms,and means 4 for applying tehsion to` vthe flexible ,member tending. to hold the arms in advancedposition.` v

ilo

3. Incombination a supporting for glassA cylinders, a plurality of arms spaced glassl cylinders, aplurality of arms` spaced along the frame andl extending transyersely tlleleet sheaves enthe .frame intermediate thev arms sheayeeyfeenneeted ...te theerme,

'e and a flexible equalizing 'member extending beneath said sheaves and supporting the series of arms.

5. In combination a supporting frame for glass cylinders, a plurality of arms spaced along the frame and extending transversely thereof, sheaves on the frame intermediate the arms, sheaves connected to the arms, a flexible equalizing member extending beneath said sheaves, and means for applying tension t0 the flexible member for holding the arms in advanced position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of February, 1919.

HERMAN S. HEICHERT. 

